1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Media Independent Handover (MIH). More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for managing an MIH service which can manage an MIH service based on state information of an MIH set in a functional level, and a method of using the apparatus thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
An Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.21 standard is progressing international standardization of Media Independent Handover (MIH) for the purpose of providing service continuity and seamless handover between heterogeneous networks, and thereby providing user convenience with a mobile terminal.
The IEEE 802.21 standard defines a Media Independent Handover Function (MIHF), and the MIHF provides an MIH event service, an MIH command service, and an MIH information service.
An MIH protocol specifies only a message format which is exchanged between peer MIH entities and does not specify any state machine or protocol model for the state information. Specifically, the MIHF may appear stateless.
Since the MIHF is stateless, an MIH user in an upper layer of the MIHF performs MIH services, such as a command service, an event service, and an information service, irrespective of the state of a peer MIHF.
Since MIHF services are performed irrespective of the state of the peer MIHF, the MIH user may not effectively perform the MIH services.
Specifically, since the MIH services are performed irrespective of the state of the peer MIHF, an unnecessary transaction may occur in association with an MIH service to be performed and thereby the mobile terminal may unnecessarily consume power.
For example, when the MIH user is in a state that is incapable of performing a remote command service to an MINF of a network corresponding to the peer MIHF, and in this state the MIH user performs the remote command service, the MIHF of the mobile terminal transmits a transaction to the MIHF of the network until the transaction to the remote command service is performed. Specifically, the transaction is transmitted until the remote command service to the peer MIHF is performed, and thus an unnecessary transaction and unnecessary power consumption occurs.
Also, since the MIHF is stateless, a problem may occur in interoperability between an MIH protocol of the mobile terminal and an MIH protocol of a network.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved apparatus capable of setting a state of an MIHF and managing MIH services based on the set state of the MIHF.